Protective
by VickyVicarious
Summary: It was cute at first. But after a while, Killian's protectiveness starts getting on Emma's nerves. She's pregnant, not helpless. [Captain Swan pregnancy fic]


Written for **mscaptainswan** on Tumblr in celebration of 100 followers. Her **prompt:** pregnant!Emma and protective!Killian.

There is a small spoiler in here for S3E5. Not much, but fair warning. This is set in a nebulous future where everyone lives happily ever after in Storybrooke.

* * *

Emma wasn't expecting it, the first time, but she definitely liked it. It eased her own shock and mixed emotions about the news to see Killian's dramatic reaction to her pregnancy. When she showed him the stick with a clear blue plus symbol, he'd simply arched an eyebrow and asked her if that was supposed to mean anything to him – so then she'd dug out the packaging, rolling her eyes at herself. As he read the back of the box, his other eyebrow shot up and his face went slack in shock.

"Emma, these… 'pregnancy tests', are they accurate?" His voice was tight and he kept glancing back and forth between the box, the stick in her hand, and her face. She couldn't tell what he felt about the news yet, which didn't really help her own anxiety about it, so she tried to keep her voice light when she answered him.

"Well, not all the time, but mostly, yeah. And there's about five more of these in the bathroom trash can, all positive, so… yeah. I, um. I think we can trust it."

Killian dropped the box. His eyes were wider than she'd ever seen them, the blue of them shocking against the pale of his face and dark of his hair; not for the first time, she thought any child of his would be gorgeous. It was definitely the first time she'd ever considered that a real _possibility_ though, that she would actually get to _see_ his child, actually _give birth _to his child. The thought had her feeling dizzy and a little hysterical.

"Then you're…" he hesitated much longer this time, his lips stuttering the shape of the word with no sound several times, before he managed to spit out, "pregnant. And. It's _mine_."

Honestly, Emma still wasn't sure yet how she felt about being pregnant. She loved Killian and she knew instantly that she would love their baby and she'd never give it up, of course – that wasn't even in question. But just because she loved the baby already, despite knowing it wasn't anything close to a real _baby_ yet, did not mean she was at all prepared for it. She felt a little sick with fear at the thought of raising a child from birth, and honestly it had been a huge struggle to force herself to tell Killian the news. His reaction so far had been less than promising – she didn't know what she would do if he didn't want the baby, but the mere idea had her bristling and defensive.

"_Yes_, it's yours," she snapped, crossing her arms. "You dumbass. Who else's would it be?"

But Killian didn't seem to hear her. His gaze had locked on her stomach, eyes raking back and forth over the flat surface of her t-shirt as if staring hard enough would let him see the baby forming inside her. Slowly, he took a step forward, and reached out to press his hand flat against her abdomen. His fingers were actually _trembling_, and she could hear his breathing go shallow – he seemed so terrified that she felt her anger slipping away despite herself.

"Killian," she said quietly, uncrossing her arms and reaching out to embrace him loosely. "It's oka-"

She cut off mid-word, because Killian had finally lifted his head, and the grin on his face was _dazzling_. Emma hadn't ever seen him so completely, uncomplicatedly joyful before, and the sight actually took her breath away for a moment.

His left arm curved around her neck, pulling her in, and he kissed her hard but awkward, because he was still outright _grinning_ and he kept his hand pinned between them, spread flat against her belly. When she broke the kiss and grinned hesitantly back at him, he actually laughed aloud.

"Emma," he murmured urgently between pressing short kisses to her lips as though he couldn't resist, "Emma, love, _we're having a baby_."

He slipped his hand up under her shirt and just pressed it to her skin, and he laughed again, kissing her jaw, her neck, her shoulder, and back – she laughed too, all her anxiety about this slipping away for a glorious moment.

"I know," she smiled, cupping his face in her hands and pulling his mouth back to hers. "I know."

-xxx-

So, yeah. It was nice the first time. And for a while it was both heartwarming and funny, to see Killian so fervently invested in her pregnancy. He came with her to visit Whale for her first checkup, and at some point while she was talking to the doctor, managed to slip one of _every single pamphlet_ the hospital offered that was even remotely related to pregnancy into his leather coat's large pockets. He yanked them out to read on the way home, loudly shushing her every time she tried to tell him most of those weren't necessary or even applicable.

When they got home, it took a good twenty-minute struggle to get _Pregnancy and Drugs_ away from him, despite the fact that Emma hadn't so much as smoked pot in years. (When she told him that, he asked, "How many years?" in an anxious tone and started flipping through the pamphlet with even more fervor.)

Once Emma had managed to pry the last of the pamphlets out his fingers, she took a pair of scissors and methodically sliced the irrelevant ones to ribbons, before passing the remaining ones back to him. She tried not to take offense at his insistence on at least reading the _Fetal Alcohol Syndrome_ one "just _once_, lass, just _once_" before disposing of it too, because he was so freaking earnest about it, and to be fair they had polished off a couple bottles of rum just last week.

In the end, she just dropped him off at the library on her way to work the next day, with instructions to ask Belle for _What to Expect When You're Expecting_. When she got home at the end of the day, it was to a stack of no less than twelve pregnancy and childcare books surrounding Killian, who was already a third of the way through _Expecting_ and more or less oblivious to the world.

She did regret it a little, when he took to asking her frequently whether she felt ill, or if she wanted anything to eat, or if her breasts felt sore – but, well, there were perks. For a one-handed man, he could give a pretty amazing massage, and once she showed him that the books said sex was allowed, he was pretty much all over her constantly. Apparently he had a 'pregnant with my child' kink of pretty huge proportions, even if it did make him way gentler than Emma preferred on a constant basis.

Still, it was nice. And there was just something endlessly hilarious about seeing the legendary Captain Hook, still dressed in full pirate regalia (as he was more often than not, even now), nose-deep in pregnancy books or stalking the halls of local clothing shops, scoping out infant wear with deadly intent.

-xxx-

A couple months in, the pampering started to get annoying. Emma had been pregnant before, had gone through it totally alone in fact, and she thought Henry had turned out pretty excellently without anyone stuffing her full of healthy food or anxiously charting her weight gain. It was nice that Killian was there to hold her hair back and rub her back soothingly when the morning sickness got to her, but she didn't need to be plied with tea and treated like an invalid for the rest of the day afterwards. And yeah, it had been sweet at first, but the constant belly-touching was getting really irritating _really _fast, even as her stomach got noticeable enough for there to actually be something to touch.

Still, Emma had never felt this appreciated or cared for in her life, and she kind of loved it despite her irritation. Killian had definitely made her feel loved before she was pregnant, but he was just so _open_ and _constant_ about how he demonstrated it now. He cared for her constantly, which had just never happened to Emma before, ever. She still planned to talk to him about toning it down, but she wanted to wait for the right moment to bring it up.

But then Snow gave them an amulet at the baby shower Emma had tried so hard to avoid anyone having, and told them it was a gift from David's mother and that it would determine whether the baby was a girl or a boy. They were going in for ultrasounds again next week anyway to see if they could find out exactly that, so Emma and Killian didn't hesitate to test the amulet out right away. His face just _lit up_ on finding that it was going to be a boy, and at some point he'd whittled a miniature _Jolly Roger_ out of wood which he presented to her for approval, and he kissed her stomach that night and talked quietly to his 'little pirate' and Emma just couldn't bear to burst his bubble with criticisms now.

-xxx-

But a couple weeks later, she was wishing she had just gone ahead and brought it up then. At least it would have been a calm discussion, instead of the shouting match it turned into when she found Killian actually _stalking her_ around town while she worked. And when she confronted him, he didn't even look the slightest bit ashamed – worse, he insisted that she should _leave her job_ until the baby was born!

Emma wasn't exactly proud of the fact that that conversation had ended with her arresting him for littering of all things, but she didn't really regret it, either. There was something immensely satisfying about putting Killian behind bars and stomping off to get some actual police work done. There had been a spate of minor burglaries for the past couple of days, and while nothing too valuable was ever stolen, the victims included some prominent figures like Ruby, Regina, and even Gold. Emma had managed to convince them not to take matters into their own hands just yet, but she was afraid that if she left this alone, the thief would end up turned into a toad or something. Besides, Emma had been feeling a little bit ineffective of late.

She loved Henry, and Killian, and Snow and David, but all any of them ever seemed to talk about anymore was the baby. All _anyone_ ever talked about was the baby; even Regina had offered her wry congratulations a couple of days ago when she'd picked Henry up for their weekend together. Killian was hardly the only one to smother Emma about this, but he was by far the worst, and one of the things she usually loved most about him was how he always viewed her as an _equal_. It stung, the feeling that just because she was pregnant he no longer believed she could take care of herself, and every time Emma started to calm down enough to consider going back to the station and letting him out, the memory incensed her all over again.

So she spent pretty much the whole day on her feet, avoiding the station and trying to figure out who the thief was. The fact that they stole from Gold's shop meant they obviously weren't looking to pawn anything off, but this was such a small town that Emma wasn't sure what else they planned on doing with the items. The only thing she was sure of was that the mystery thief seemed to be going after big targets, people who by all rights _should_ be able to catch an intruder (the thief had fooled Ruby's nose with a variety of pungent perfumes, and apparently didn't leave anything behind easily traceable by magic), so maybe it was some ego thing. As an ex-thief herself, Emma had to admit she was impressed, but that didn't really help her get any closer to an arrest, and she didn't really want to look at Killian again until she had _proof_ that she didn't need his protection.

Unfortunately, it just didn't seem like her day. Not only did she get no closer to finding the burglar, Emma's whole body ached from walking around town investigating houses for any sign of the thief. The thieving had been pretty consistently in the evening, from around 8-10, one house a night, which made it all the more impressive that no one had ever caught even a glimpse of the guy responsible. Emma texted David to bring Killian some dinner at the station and kept a stake-out on what she believed to be the most likely next target: her parents' house, which they'd moved into not long after returning from Neverland. Henry was with Regina for the night so she didn't have to worry about him, and she was stubbornly determined not to release Killian until either the law forced her to or she brought in the thief in front of him, so she didn't care if he spent the night locked up.

By 11:30 she had to admit defeat and head home to the loft. Emma was exhausted, grumpy, and both hungry and thirsty because she'd forgotten to eat dinner. She felt sore and tired and wanted nothing more than to flop into bed and let Killian massage her legs and feet, and plant slow kisses along her spine, and even feed her one of his stupid pregnant woman recipes, just so long as all she had to do was lay still and let him take care of her. The fact that she had trapped him halfway across town for being an asshole, and thus rendered him unable to do any of that, only pissed her off more.

So when she slipped in through her front door and flicked the lights on only to see a tall man freezing in the act of picking up a knick-knack from the kitchen counter, Emma was _not_ in the mood to be courteous. Her ire only grew when she recognized what the thief held in his hand: the little wooden pirate ship Killian had carved for their (as yet unnamed) son.

Emma's quick-draw was worthy of any cowboy movie face-off.

"Hands in the air," she growled. "And drop the toy."

Storybrooke's master thief did so immediately, and when she moved in closer she was startled to realize that he couldn't be more than seventeen or eighteen years old, fresh-faced and obviously terrified of her gun. It was enough of a surprise that Emma dropped her guard a little – which she _shouldn't_ _have_ because obviously anyone willing to steal from a werewolf, the Dark One, a pirate captain, and the town Sheriff, all in the span of a single week, would have a few tricks up his sleeve. As soon as Emma got close enough, the kid jerked one long, pointy elbow at her face and then ducked down to swipe a lanky leg under hers while she reeled to avoid the first blow.

He managed to knock her flat on her ass, and quickly kicked the gun out of her hand before snatching the toy ship back up and bolting for the door. Emma swore and tried to jump up to follow him, but her head started rushing horribly and she felt dizzy and sick as soon as she stood up. She tried to blink the black spots out of her eyes and grab forward to catch the thief's jacket, but everything just got really fuzzy really fast and Emma couldn't think straight and…

Distantly, she thought she heard someone shout her name as she hit the floor.

-xxx-

Emma woke up slowly, with a raging headache. She probably wouldn't have woken up at all, but for the heated argument someone was having _way too loudly_ somewhere nearby.

"Shut'p," she mumbled, groaning and rubbing at her eyes. Her whole body felt heavy, but at least the noise stopped instantly.

Someone said, "Emma, drink this," and a bottle of water was shoved under her nose. Emma took it without argument, draining half the bottle before even fully opening her eyes. It only took a few moments before she realized what had happened, and she groaned again, much louder.

She couldn't believe she'd _fainted_.

Emma sat up slowly, careful not to rush it this time, and blinked around herself. She was lying on the couch in the loft. Killian was crouched next to her, holding her hand, his face drawn with worry. David stood over near the door with a stern expression, hand hovering by his gun. Sitting next to him with his hands cuffed to the kitchen chair was the thief, a dark bruise already blooming over his left eye. All three men were staring at her anxiously.

"Ugh, I'm fine, let go of me," Emma snapped as she pulled away from Killian, thoroughly irritated at both him and herself. The _very day_ she got into a fight about how _capable_ she was, she had to go and faint like some freaking damsel to be rescued. "Hey, kid. What's your name?"

The thief jumped, and stuttered, "Uh, I'm Jack. Jack Hanson. A-are you okay? I _swear_, I didn't mean to hurt you, I just wanted to get away –"

Emma waved him off. "No. I just… ugh, I just fainted. I didn't drink enough water today, and I just –"

Without a word, Killian stood and stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Emma jumped at the loud noise, and swiveled to glare after him, before glancing back at her father. "What the hell is his problem? And, not that I mind, what were you two even _doing_ here?"

David eyed Jack for a moment, before opening the front door, sliding the chair the boy sat in outside, and shutting the door behind him. "We know your name and we've seen your face. If you're smart you'll wait _right there _for me to finish my conversation with my daughter before I bring you to the station."

He returned to Emma after a moment, and sat down next to her on the couch, giving her a gentle hug. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm _fine_," Emma repeated, shrugging out of his embrace. "Now, really, what were you guys doing here?"

David shrugged. "When we realized you weren't coming back tonight, I posted Hook's bail, and gave him a ride home. We got back right as you collapsed."

Emma sighed heavily, and drank the rest of the water. She should have known better than to ask David to bring Killian dinner and _not _expect her father to release him. They already got along weirdly well before she got pregnant; ever since, they'd been pretty much _best mates_, both equally excited at the prospect of a young Jones emerging into the world in a few short months.

"I just wanted one night. One night without all of the freaking _fussing_. Do you know," Emma asked, sitting up straighter and turning to address David directly, "he actually told me I should quit work? Can you believe that?"

The pause before David answered was a little too long.

"_No_," Emma snapped over his half-hearted agreement. "_No_. Not you too. I can _do my job_, damn it."

At this point, Killian would have made a pointed comment about her complete failure to do her job just moments ago. David, charming as ever, only shrugged agreement. "I know that, Emma. Trust me; I know you can take care of yourself. But… sometimes it's okay to let someone else take care of _you_."

When Emma just scoffed, he changed his approach.

"Look, back in the Enchanted Forest, we didn't exactly have the same level of medicine as this world does. Having a baby was a big deal – it was dangerous, women _died_ giving birth. Pretty frequently. Emma, when Snow was pregnant with you, I worried constantly. I barely even let her out of the castle."

"Yeah, well, you did kind of have an Evil Queen after you," Emma said. "Not really the same thing."

"I know, but…" David sighed, and ran a hand through his hair. "Look at it this way: Hook was alone for hundreds of years, right? I don't know what happened, but… Having a baby is _wonderful_, but it's also terrifying. And not just the idea of being a father – I wanted nothing more than to be your father, but I was still scared out of my wits every day Snow was pregnant with you. And not because of the Evil Queen. Because, if _anything_ went wrong, I knew how easily I could lose her. I could lose _you_. When we came in here and saw you lying on the floor… I had to stop Hook from _killing_ that boy. I've never seen a man look so heartbroken."

He leaned in and hugged Emma gently. This time, she didn't pull away. "Have you considered that maybe Jones is just scared?"

-xxx-

Killian was sulking in the baby's room. He stood, back to the door, glaring at the (frankly overly ornate) crib Geppetto and Pinocchio had made for their baby shower gift. Emma walked up to him slowly, slipping her hand into his and squeezing once. He didn't pull away, but didn't turn to look at her either, and his expression was still dark.

"Did you eat something?" he asked gruffly, anger clear in his voice. Emma nodded. "Good."

For a long moment, they just stood there silently, eyes on the crib in front of them.

"I'm not going to quit my job," Emma said eventually, and she felt Killian stiffen next to her. "But in a couple of weeks, I will switch to desk-work only. I'm going on maternity leave once the kid's actually born, too. Is that good enough for you?"

Killian didn't answer for several minutes. Emma waited him out patiently; when he finally did speak, his voice was rough. "It's not that I don't trust you, lass. If anyone knows what a fighter you are, it's me. But I – I've lost _everyone_, Emma. You – you and our son – you're all I have. And I can't –"

"David said something pretty smart just now," Emma said. "He asked me if you might just be scared."

Killian laughed, and his hand gripped hers tightly. "I _am_. I'm so bloody terrified… I've no idea how to be a father, love. It's all I want, to have a family with you, but I don't – I can't – those books. Do you know how many things can go _wrong_? When I saw you on the floor, I thought you'd miscarried. I thought –"

Emma pulled his hand up and turned it, holding his palm flat against her belly. The baby had started kicking only a few weeks ago, and kept dancing pretty regularly. That was usually kind of irritating, but right now it was a blessing – Killian's face grew noticeably lighter.

"I'm scared too," Emma admitted. "I'm scared every day, because I've never been a mother. Not like _this_. I don't have any more idea what to do with a baby than you do. Less, probably, you've read half a library on it by now. But… it's okay. We can figure it out together."

Killian swallowed, and finally turned to face her. Emma's heart clenched when she saw the wetness around his eyes. Pulling her closer with his left arm, he kissed her lips briefly before letting his head drop to her shoulder, where he breathed against her skin quietly. Emma ran a hand up into his hair and held him back, hating herself for the casual way she'd brushed him off after waking up.

She was the only one who knew what had happened with Milah. She should have known how that would have affected him. She should've thought about how _she_ would have felt, if she'd walked in on the same scene – it was painful even to imagine, and Emma held on tighter.

"You know, I think it's really about time we name the little pirate," she said, quietly. "I think maybe his middle name can be David. What do you think?"

Killian took a deep, shuddering breath. "I had." He swallowed, and Emma kissed the top of his head gently. "I had an older brother. Liam."

She could have asked why Killian never mentioned his brother before, but Emma didn't. She had a pretty good idea, and it resonated deep within her, another loss to tie them together.

Instead she said, "Liam David Jones. Not bad."

Killian pulled back slowly, lifting his head to rest his forehead on hers. His eyes were bright and his voice more than a little broken, but he was smiling as he leaned in to press a single soft kiss to her lips. "Aye," he said. "It's a strong name."

Their fingers curved together over her belly, the life they'd created together kicking out in agreement.

* * *

I don't know how this got so angsty at the end. Sorry, guys. I also don't know how Henry avoided being in here. I tried to put him in but it never worked. Oh well... Anyway, I could _not resist_ naming the baby Liam.

Jack Hanson is very loosely based off the various fairy tales of 'The Master Thief'. He's not shapeshifting in this, but he is stealing stuff from people in an impressive way (or, from impressive people) to get in good with his lady-love. I don't really go into that in the story, but that's his background. Oh, and he's named for Jack, the thief in one of the tales, "Jack the Clever Thief", and his last name is because the Master Thief's father in the Grimm version is named Hans. Hans' son = Hanson.


End file.
